Qingdao Underwater World

Qingdao Underwater World is located on the landward side of the coastal road, Laiyang, at the intersection of Laiyang and Yushan Roads, and just across Yushan Road from Xiaoyushan (Xiaoyu Mountain) Park, some 100 meters from the sea, at the northern apex of Huiquan Bay, on Shandong peninsula's Yellow Sea side, from whence this impressive marine waterworld pumps its seawater. This modern waterworld is a moderately large (7300 square meters) complex which integrates a Marine Organism Specimen Gallery, a Freshwater Aquarium and a Tropical Rainforest Exhibition, as well as the waterworld's main focus, the Marine Aquarium.

But Qingdao Underwater World is more than just a collection of specimens and aquariums, it also plays an educative, popular science role for children, with interactive, marine biology presentations, and the waterworld also presents underwater performances where visitors can observe the waterworld's divers as they perform shows such as Dancing with Sharks, the Mermaid Show, the Underwater Adventure, the Underwater Ballet, and the Underwater Wedding. These performances are very popular, attracting large crowds.

Qingdao Underwater World, which incorporates state-of-the-art equipment (the waterworld boasts several industry "firsts"), was designed and built by Dalian New Seascape Ocean Science-Tech Development Co. Ltd. (aka Dalian New Seascape), a Chinese acrylic aquarium designer and manufacturer located in Liaoning Province in northeastern China, a province contiguous with North Korea. Dalian New Seascape has partnerships with marine technology companies in New Zealand, Japan, Russia and the United States. For example, in the design and development of Qingdao Underwater World, Dalian New Seascape partnered with a marine technology company in New Zealand.

Some of Qingdao Underwater World's industry "firsts" include:

1) The world's largest cylindrical aquarium.

2) The world's largest Marine Organism Specimen Gallery.

3) China's first all-underground aquarium concept.

4) China's first aquarium with a sea-floor tunnel that offers a 180-degree vertically panoramic view and another sea-floor tunnel that offers a 254-degree vertically panoramic view, as well as a unique tunnel that pokes through the middle of the aquarium (think "transparent tube"), offering an incredible, 360-degree vertically panoramic view of the surrounding marine aquarium.

In addition, the waterworld has a large, vertical-cylindrical marine aquarium that one can stroll around. It measures 5 meters in diameter, and stands roughly 7 ½ meters high. Besides the many smaller fishes and other marine life it houses, it is also home to a beautiful, highly colorful coral reef at its base. This vertical-cylindrical tank is the venue for the "Sea-Floor Exploration" participatory diving activity mentioned in the Tips section below.

To top off the tourist's fascinating experience of a visit to Qingdao Underwater World - which has China's highest tourist rating, i.e., a Class AAAA rating - the waterworld looks out onto the sea on one side, with mountains as a backdrop, and with a number of other major attractions within a short radius (less than 1 kilometer), such as Qingdao Aquarium (the city's first marine aquarium), Luxun Park, No. 1 Bathing Beach, Xaioyushan Park, and China Navy Museum.

Solo Adventure Tips:

Location:

No. 2 Laiyang Road

How to Get There?

You can take any of the following buses, remembering to get off at the Luxun Park stop, then follow the signs to the waterworld: 6, 26, 223, 304, 311, 312, 316, 321, 501, 801 and 802.

Ticket Price:

120 Yuan per person in the peak season; 90 Yuan in the off season.

Opening Hours:

From 8:00 AM to 6:00 PM in peak season; 8:30 AM to 5:00 PM in off season.

2) Do it yourself! - Tourists who so wish can don a rented deep-sea diving suit and join in the "Sea-Floor Exploration" activity in the seaworld's 5 meter by 7 ½ meter vertical-cylindrical marine aquarium, guided by a professional diver. This is one of the few marine aquariums in the world that offers such active participation. You can have a friend or relative take your picture from outside the tank, while you swim around inside it.

3) Shows - The Dancing with Sharks performance takes place at the following times: 11:00 AM and 15:30 PM, while the Mermaid Show performance takes place at the following times: 9:30 AM and 14:00 PM. The other performances - the Underwater Adventure, the Underwater Ballet, and the Underwater Wedding - are not daily shows, but take place on a rotating basis. Inquire at the waterworld's ticket office for their performance times.